Hot weather boost for basking Brits, as 20% more choose outdoor holidays

PITCHUP.COM PREDICTS UK TOURISM BOOST

As temperatures soar and the forecast is ‘hotter than Honolulu’ for Friday, Brits are heading to camp and caravan sites in record numbers, claims Pitchup.com, the outdoor accommodation specialist that has seen a 20%* increase in last-minute coastal site bookings this week.

Founder Dan Yates attributed this to the hot weather and said: "As Friday is set to be the hottest day of the year so far, we expect to see more people booking an outdoor break at to make the most of the sunshine."

He added: “Government figures confirm that fewer Brits are holidaying abroad** and the good weather is another reason to book a British break. Even when the heatwave breaks there are still plenty of great places to stay outdoors that don’t involve mud!”

Yates expects sites in Cornwall, Kent and Wales to prove especially popular on Friday.

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* 20% more bookings taken week commencing 14 July 2014 than previous week.

** Table 4: UK residents’ visits abroad by purpose.

Source: National Statistics (http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ott/overseas-travel-and-tourism---monthly-release/april-2014/rft--april-2014.xls)

For media information:

Samantha Marsh or Rob Bates at White Tiger PR

samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

rob.bates@whitetigerpr.com 07957 316491

About Pitchup.com

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Switzerland.

Pitchup.com, which currently lists over 5,800 sites, provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease: the customer experience from landing on the homepage through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages.  The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions. It’s also possible to check out water bathing water quality in the surrounding area with data provided by the European Environment Agency.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.

In 2013 Pitchup.com became the first business of its type to launch a bookable mobile site and app, making the site easily accessible to users of iPhones and other mobile and tablet devices.  The mobile site, m.pitchup.com, now accounts for 15% of bookings.

Pitchup.com enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one-off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.

Awards include Best UK Travel Website of the Year at the British Travel Press Awards 2011, and most recently best Travel / Leisure / Sports / Mobile Strategy / Campaign at the Marketing on Mobile Awards 2014.